going to have local updates. we'll keep you posted. you can get realtime news, weather and traffic especially with the wintry mix on the nbc10 app. good morning. breaking overnight -- double the heartbreak. legendary actress debbie reynolds dies just one day after daughter carrie fisher. her son saying the stress of that loss was too much for the 84-year-old telling him, "i want to be with carrie." this morning as tributes pour in fr around the globe we'll look back at the career of one of hollywo hollywood's biggest stars. powerful storms set to impact 20 million people from the great lakes to new england, up to two feet of snow expected in some areas. ice and freezing rain in others. al says it is all adding up to a dangerous commute this morning. playing nice. president-elect trump talks to president obama just hours after accusing him of disrupting a smooth white house transition.

>> he phoned me. we had a very nice conversation. >> the two still at odds over growing disputes with russia and israel. fighting back. jonbenet ramsey's brother, burke, files a $750 million lawsuit after a cbs series suggests he killed his sister. this as investigators prepare for new testing on key evidence in the two-decade-old mystery "today," thursday, december 29th, 2016. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. welcome to "today" on this thursday morning, i'm carson daly in for matt. tamron hall in for savannah who continues on maternity leave. tamron, what a terrible chain of events yesterday talking about carrie fisher, now debbie reynolds, her mother, passes. >> it is almost too hard to process. you think about a daughter, then the next day her mother. and add their legendary status

to it, it is heartbreaking. >> it is our top story this morning. nbc's stephanie gosk is here with more. >> good morning, guys. it is such an incredible shock. this morning family and friends of debbie reynolds and carrie fisher are grappling with this unimaginable loss. just a day apart, this mother and daughter who touched generations of people through movies, songs and books are both gone. tragedy strikes twice for one of hollywood's most famous families. just one day after the death of her daughter, carrie fisher, debbie reynolds passed away from a stroke. her son, todd fisher, blaming a broken mart, telling variety his mother said just hours before her death, "i miss her so much. i want to be with carrie." family and friends coming to grips with the sudden loss of two icons from two different eras in hollywood. both women fixtures in american pop culture for decades. ♪ good morning good morning >> reporter: debbie reynolds' meteoric rise to fame began in

1952 when she landed a starring role in the big screen musical "singing in the rain." star alongside gene kelly and donald o'connor, reynold became america's sweetheart and a bona fide triple threat. >> i've been dancing 30 years. i was dancing for three months. so i was hysterical. >> reporter: reynolds would go on to showcase her range earning a best actress oscar nomination for the 1964 drama, "the unsinkable molly brown." reynold' first marriage to eddie fisher, carrie's father, ended in a scandalist love triangle, fisher leaves reynold for her best friend, elizabeth taylor. reynolds would go on to marry and divorce two more times. >> i don't choose well. i don't blame anybody but myself. but i just seem to have very poor taste in men.

>> reporter: reynolds also had a volatile relationship with her daughter. one carrie fisher famously wrote about "postcards from the edge," which was turned into a movie starring meryl streep. >> leave it! >> reporter: despite their differences, the mother/daughter duo shared some similarities, both landed their break-out roles at age 19, rocketing to super stardom, both living in the public eye. the pair eventually ended their feud, becoming very close. even quite harmonious. ♪ you made me love you i didn't want to do it i did ♪ >> reporter: reynolds and fisher appearing together in a rare performance on "oprah" in 2011. ♪ happy days are here again >> debbie reynolds came from old hollywood, mgm musicals, very much where a studio owned. whereas carrie fisher came from the rebellious '70s, she was like, "you don't tell me what to

do." along with their legacy, their personal story will live up, including an upcoming documentary. >> mommy, mommy, i'm home. >> reporter: this morning the unbreakable bond of this influential mother/daughter team captured in a statement from carrie's brother, todd. she's gone to be with carrie. she loved taking care of her and now she's gone to be with her. there has been an outpouring online from fans and the famous alike, everyone trying to find the words to express the scope of this tragedy. at least one person wrote, god, i'd love to know what carrie fisher had to say about all this. >> unfathomable. >> stephanie, thank you. dave carver is with us from los angeles. good morning, thanks for joining us. . >> good morning, tamron. >> you heard stephanie say people are trying to find a way to describe it. obviously this is on the

internet, people are saying this is a broken heart, a mother died of a broken heart. do you see it that way when you look at their relationship? >> i think i do. a lot of people are talking about how tragic this is with debbie to pass one day after her own daughter. i also think it is quite touching and i'm hoping that people remember both sides of these events. >> zaf, contin >> dave, describe more of their relationship. >> they had a lot of common. they both had this amazing wit. i think carrie fisher's wit may have been a little more ascerbic than her mothers. but it is easy to see how carrie fisher was her mother's daughter. carrie talked about how it was difficult for her to share her mother with all of her adoring fans over the years and for about ten years they didn't really speak. but it was great to see them reconcile in the later years and in early 2015 care are i presented her mother with the screen actor's guild lifetime achievement award and it was a really wonderful moment and

union for the two of them. >> we've talked so much about carrie fisher's impact on young girls and what she did. debbie reynolds, 19 years old, put in this seemingly impossible position of dancing with two performers. they had several months of experience, they had decades but it became this major point in her career. >> absolutely. if you watch that "good morning" number and watch that knowing that she was 19 and basically crammed for that in three months, her feet were bleeding by the end of the filming. she really pulled it off. debbie reynolds started off as a beauty queen, miss burbank 1948. but she was so much spunkier and pluckier than a lot of the female movie stars of the time. i think that's what really sets her apart. >> they say gene kelly gave her a really hard time, was all over her shooting that, made her cry a couple times. how much did you see at 19 that grit and determination that she showed. >> absolutely. it carried on throughout her

entire career. the role that stephanie just mentioned, "the unsinkable molly brown" that garnered her her only oscar nomination, though she did win the humanitarian n honorary award, that unsinkable spirit stayed with her throughout her career. it was nice to see her play is grace's mom on "will and grace," and then to win the screen actor's guild and honorary academy award in 2015 really special for her to take that kind of victory lap. >> it absolutely is. quickly, do we know -- we saw that moment with them on oprah, what brought them back together after they were eestranged? >> i don't really know but it sounded like it was one of those situations where time would heal all the wounds. i think they realized they were better off together than apart. >> that's a beautiful image of them there together. dave, thank you so much. meantime, strong winter storms are expected to hit the

great lakes and much of new england with heavy snow and high winds all starting today. al's back to tell us more about that. >> hi, guys. let's show you what's happening. we do have what's going to develop into a nor'easter as it makes its way up into new england. here from philadelphia south we've got some strong storms and heavy thunderstorms. but back through pennsylvania, western new york, snow starting to fire up. along the coast we got a cold front and low pressure developing up along this system. so by earlier today, we're going to see the coastal low moving into the northeast with more rain, snow. this is mostly an inland event. along i-95 it is going to mostly rain. but for parts of new england, heavy snow. one to three inches of rain per hour with the possibility of thunder snow. as it pulls away, winds come across the great lakes. lake effect bands are going to develop. look at snowfall amounts through inland parts of new england, 12 to 18, up to two feet of snow. then as we move into parts of

central and western new york, and on into pennsylvania, anywhere from nine inches to a foot and a half to, in some places, guys, two feet of snow. blizzard-like conditions. but the good news is this is a very quick mover. gets out of here but it will leave some very strong winds. could be some airport delays tomorrow from boston into new york city because of the winds be. >> al, thank you very much. now to president-elect donald trump taking a much different tone talking about president obama just hours after slamming him on twitter. just where does their relationship stand? nbc's hallie jackson has more for us. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. taking some twists and turns certainly. a senior transition official tells nbc news that today the president-elect will spend part of his day doing inauguration speech prep. just 24 hours after talking to president obama and the transition, his complaints turning to contradictions. the president-elect now praising his predecessor. >> he called me.

we had a very, very good talk about -- generally about things. he was in hawaii. and it was a very, very nice call. and i actually thought we covered a lot of territory. lot of good territory. >> reporter: the white house tells nbc news that phone conversation was positive and focused on a smooth transition. >> it was a great conversation. >> reporter: but, rewind. just 11 hours before that, trump hit what he called the many inflammatory president o statements and road blocks. thought it was going to be a smooth transition. not. the about-face for the president-elect coming during an impromptu session with reporters and box is promoter don king in town for a mar-a-lago dinner party. trump promising a news conference in the next couple weeks but brushing off questions about how he'll separate his business dealings with the business of being president. >> that's very routine. honestly. it is a very routine thing. it is not a big deal. you people are making that a big

deal, the business, because -- number one, when i won, they all knew i had a big business all over the place. it is actually a very simple situation. >> reporter: the president-elect preferring to focus instead on a different business -- sprint. and the announcement the telecom company will keep or create 5,000 jobs in the u.s. while that generated headlines for trump, it's not new. a sprint spokesperson confirming the additional jobs are part of a deal announced weeks ago. for now, trump's focusing on federal agencies with an eye on making changes to the va, now considering a public/private health care option for veterans and possibly, according to a senior transition source, forming an advisory council to figure out how to best reform the beleaguered department. for trump already looking past the transition with now just 22 days left until the oval office. the president-elect still has not named his pick for va secretary. one of just a few open cabinet

positions left, including head of the agriculture department, too. >> hallie, thank you very much. as early as today the obama administration is expected to reveal new measures to punish russia over its suspected meddling in the u.s. presidential election as it deals with a new dust-up with israel. nbc national correspondent peter alexander is in the white house with more. >> reporter: this is a real-life clash of the titans, obama, trump, netanyahu, kerry and putin with barry three weeks left in this administration, the white house is making it clear it is not going to go quietly, certainly not on issues of national security and foreign policy. beginning with tough new actions expected as early as today against russia. this morning, the white house is preparing to announce retaliatory steps against russia for attempting to interfere with the u.s. election. two senior u.s. officials confirm to nbc news the announced steps will likely include economic sanctions coordinated by the treasury department. and additional covert steps,

including cyber options. still, the u.s. has been careful in trying to avoid engaging russia in an all-out cyber war. late thursday, president-elect trump dismissed the threat of new sanctions. >> i think we ought to get on with our lives. i think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. >> reporter: but senior u.s. officials tell nbc news they're highly confident russian president vladimir putin himself was personally involved in the hacking. this morning the obama administration is also taking heat for its fierce criticism of israel, delivered in a forceful farewell speech by outgoing secretary of state john kerry. >> friends need to tell each other the hard truths. and friendships require mutual respect. >> reporter: kerry tearing into israel for its plans to build jewish settlements in east jerusalem in the west bank calling it a threat to peace. israel's benjamin netanyahu furious. >> israelis do not need to be lectured about the importance of peace by foreign leaders.

>> did john kerry's speech makes things worse? it seems to have inflamed things as this administration is just weeks from being out the door. >> well, although i deeply respect secretary kerry's very hard work in pursuit of peace, i do question the timing and the purpose. >> reporter: earlier president-elect trump diseaseize moment slamming the obama administration tweeting we cannot allow israel to be treated with such disdain and lack of respect. while kerry says no administration has done for more israel's security including a $38 billion military deal, the israeli ambassador to the u.s. disputes that. >> it is not true that no administration has done more israel's security. depends how you define that. >> reporter: netanyahu tweeted at trurmp, thank you for your warm friendship and clear-cut support for israel. critics say donald trump has ignored one of the hallmarks of america's democratic system, that there is only one president at a time, especially as it

relates to foreign affairs. one of the real bottom lines here is the fact that there is this growing sense that yesterday's bitter back and forth may have marked the end of the two-state solution as the u.s. government's guiding policy as it looks toward peace between the israelis and palestinians. >> peter, thank you. two soldiers were killed when their apache respect crashed in galveston bay wednesday about 25 miles southeast of houston. the texas army national guard says names of the victims are being withheld until their families are notified. the helicopter was on a routine training mission when witnesses say it broke apart in the air. a piece of the chopper's blade was found on the land near the crash site. no word yet on what caused that crash. meantime, flight recorders revealed no evidence of an explosion on board a russian plane that crashed on sunday killing all 92 aboard. but investigators haven't ruled out a terrorist act. a russian military official said

today that the captain indicated there was "a special situation" that began unfolding on the plane. the official would not elaborate but it is likely it was caused by several factors. president obama has designated land in nevada and utah as national domonuments. . bears ears national monument in utah will cover more than 1 million acres in the four corners region. it is a blow for state republican leaders who say it will add another layer of unnecessary federal control. in nevada, 300,000 acres will be set aside for the gold butte national monument. it includes rare fossils and recently discovered dinosaur tracks. let's get a check of the weather with al. >> what a great thing those national museums and parks. for your area, we've got wet weather through the southeast,

gulf coast as well. sunshine in the plains, central plains and northern plains. heavy hefx will develop around the great lakes. a storm moving into the pacific northwest. we'll take a look at that in the next half-hour. i'm "first alert" meteorologist erika martin. we are clear snow showers from southwest towards the northeast across the lehigh valley. tracking widespread rain after that. temperatures for today topping out in the mid-40s but we will

have a gusty afternoon into early friday. of course, new year's eve, what can you expect? partly to mostly cloudy skies. it will be dry. temperatures in the 30s. tracking shower, monday into tuesday. otherwise for today, lehigh valley, give yourself extra time for that commute. al, thank you very much. coming up, new fallout over a cbs series that claimed jonbenet ramsey was killed by her brother, burke. this morning the $750 million lawsuit he just filed. then, honoring fallen heroes. we'll hear from families of police officers who were ambushed and killed in the line of duty this year. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, on "trending," one grandfather's unforgettable attempt at a popular game. and jay leno's heartwarming surprise to thank one of our nation's wounded warriors for her service. but first, these messages

and a check of your local news and weather. so, mr. harris, we have your fingerprints on the safe. a photo of you opening the safe. a post using the hashtag "#justrobbedthesafe" so, what are we supposed to think? switching to geico could save you a bunch of money on car insurance. excellent point. case dismissed. geico. because saving fifteen percent or more on car insurance woo! because saving fifteen percent or more on car insurance is always a great answer.

[oprah] like everybody, i want to live a life that's full. full of a happiness found in living the life i want. full of the energy that comes with good health. full of the great foods i love. and at weight watchers, i don't have to choose between weight loss and living well. i live well, while losing weight. it is easier than it's ever been, and not one day have i felt deprived. most important, it works! join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us.

we rely on our courage. the kind of courage that shows up when we need it... and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer society. whfight back fastts, with tums smoothies. it starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ♪ tum -tum -tum -tum smoothies! only from tums how is this possible? it's a light soup and yet it's real food? carrots, celery, and now 100% antibotic and hormone free white breast meat chicken?

it boggles the mind! ah. i need to sit down.

>> announcer: nbc10 news starts now. 7:26. good morning, i'm tracy davidson. we're tracking rain, snow mix, depending where you are. let's get to meteorologist erika martin has that. >> tracy, we're tracking that snow in lehigh valley. upper montgomery county and parts of bucks county through 11:00 a.m. today. if you look at the bottom of your screen, you will see your forecast. be mindful of untreated areas. satellite image mindful of the returns. widespread snow as well. everything exchanging over to wide president rain by 11:00 a.m. hour-by-hour forecast clears it by 3:00 p.m. the good news, it's not going to be a washout, eventually, we

will see sunshine. right now, snow showers for lehigh valley, back to you. >> you can track this wintery mix on the nbc10 app. weather, breaking news, it's a free download available right now. also available right now, a traffic update with "first alert" traffic reporter jessica boyington. >> we're watching through center city right now not seeing delays but definitely wet roads to battle the commute. you can see the delays definitely watch the on and off ramp. a crash in souderton, east summit street. >> we'll have another update in 25 minutes. you can always get the latest news and weather with the "today" show app. the "today" show continues in just a few minutes. i'm tracy davidson. thanks for watching. have a great day.

7:30 now on a thursday morning, december 29th, 2016. as you can see, we've got a happy group of folks out there in rockefeller plaza. it's a nice crowd. i think it is paling in comparison to what you might see in two days in times square as we get ready for new year's eve. >> i bet a lot of those people will soon transition over, lining up to see carson. 18 years in a row. catch carson, some of his friends, and a new year's eve celebration you don't want to miss saturday night, 11:30 p.m. >> that's mel b., my co-host.

>> lot of great music. >> blake shelton, alicia keys, pentatonix. awesome. thanks for the plug. appreciate it. >> no problem. now let's turn to a check of the stories making headlines. legendary actress debbie reynolds died last night just one day after her daughter carrie fisher. reynolds' son says the stress of losing her only daughter was just too much. at just 19, reynolds starred alongside again kelly in the classic musical "singing in the rain." she earned an oscar nomination for her role in 1964's "the unsinkable molly brown." debbie reynolds was 84 years old. president-elect donald trump spoke briefly to reports at his estate in florida late wednesday announcing sprint will move 5,000 jobs back to the united states and revealed that he did speak by phone to president obama. mr. trump called their conversation "very nice." but did not say exactly what was discussed. three teenagers on vacation in florida are lucky to be alive after their boat capsized more

than two miles from shore. they managed to hang on to a cell phone, call 911 and waited to be rescued on that small piece of the overturned boat. also making headlines this morning, a massive lawsuit that's just been filed by jonbenet ramsey's brother, burke. nbc's joe fryar has all the details. good morning. >> reporter: carson, good morning. this week marks 20 years since jonbenet ramsey's unsolved murder. the anniversary has prompted a number of tv specials about the case which have aired every o the last few months. now one of those shows is the subject of a multi-million dollar lawsuit build by burke. a team of investigators were assembled to review the murder mystery. they theorized burke ramsey may have struck his sister with a flashlight killing her. now burke has launched a defamation lawsuit against cbs, the production company and several experts who appeared on

the show seeking $750 million in damages. the suit claims the defendant's accusation that burke ramsey killed his sister was based on a compilation of lies, half-truths, manufactured information and the intentional omission and avoidance of truthful information about the murder. >> if they can prove all of the allegations they stated a very strong case for defamation. >> reporter: in a statement, burke's father, john ramsey, says the conduct of cbs in falsely accusing a 9-year-old child of murder was unconscionable and cannot be tolerated. cbs has not returned messages seeking comment on the lawsuit but in september the network said cbs stands by the broadcast and will do so in court. one of the experts being sued, forensic pathologist warner spitz, declined to comment on this recent suit by in october burke ramsey filed another defamation lawsuit against spitz for other public comments he made about the case. in court documents spitz asked for that suit to be dismissed, arguing that because the death of jonbenet ramsey remains one

of our nation's most widely discussed and debated unsolved crimes, the first amendment gives dr. spitz the breathing room to express his point of view about it. >> i know i didn't do it. >> reporter: earlier this year burke ramsey broke his silence speaking with dr. phil. >> did you do anything to harm your sister, jonbenet? >> no. >> did you murder your sister, jonbenet? >> no. >> reporter: for two decades now the history has captivated the public yet remains unsolved. this month boulder county investigators announced they are planning another round of dna testing using new technology on key evidence in the 20-year-old case. we reached out to the production company and the six other experts named in burke ramsey's lawsuit. so far, they have not returned our messages. >> lot more to come on that story. joe fryar, thanks very much. now let's get another check of the weather. we pismissed you and so happy t

have you back. >> it is good to be back. wet weather for our friends in southern california. their drought's not down yet but they are getting some relief. pacific moisture streaming up into the southwest all the way into southern and central california. plus a cold front coming down out of the pacific northwest. going to combine, rain will be moving into southern california late today, on into tomorrow. then we get another break before the next system comes in late on saturday. look at the rainfall amounts from phoenix right on into central and southern california. anywhere from a half-inch to some places picking up an inch of rain. i'm "first alert" meteorologist erika martin. and now we are clearing some snow showers from southwest towards the northeast across the lehigh valley. tracking widespread rain after that. temperatures for today topping out in the mid-40s but we will have a gusty afternoon into early friday. of course, new year's eve, what can you expect? partly to mostly cloudy skies. it will be dry. temperatures in the 30s.

tracking some showers possibly for next monday into tuesday. otherwise for today, lehigh valley, give yourself extra time for that commute. >> get the weather any time you need it, check out the weather channel on cable. up next, the families of fallen police officers speak out about moving forward after their tragic losses. right af ♪ what if an insurance company wasn't only there when things went wrong? because for every tornado... there's a twister. for every crash... an even bigger collision. and for every tailspin... well, tailspins. state farm understands that getting the most out of life doesn't just mean being there when things go wrong. it's about being here... in all of life's moments. when things go perfectly... right. ♪ ...ad, and my sweethearts handsome,gone sayonara.rance...

this scarf, all that's left to remember. what! she washed this like a month ago! how's a guy supposed to move on! the long lasting scent of gain flings. you could spend the next few days weeding through w2s, pay stubs and bank statements to refinance your home. or you could push that button. sfx: rocket launching. cockpit sounds. skip the bank, skip the paperwork, and go completely online. securely share your financial info and confidently get an accurate mortgage solution in minutes. lift the burden of getting a home loan with rocket mortgage by quicken loans. (whisper) rocket of your brain can make it hard to lose weight? contrave is an fda-approved weight-loss medicine that may help adults who are overweight or struggle with obesity lose weight and keep it off.

contrave is believed to work on two areas of the brain: your hunger center... (woman) i'm so hungry. (avo) to reduce hunger. and your reward system... (woman) ice cream. french fries. (avo) to help control cravings. across three long-term studies, contrave patients lost approximately 2-4x more weight than with diet and exercise alone. contrave is not for everyone. one ingredient in contrave may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teens, and young adults within the first few months. other serious side effects include seizures, increase in blood pressure or heart rate, liver damage, manic episodes, glaucoma and allergic reactions. do not take with opioids. reduce hunger, help control cravings. contrave. the #1 prescribed weight-loss brand. go to contrave.com.

frida is a work of art.and frida appreciate the arts. they get inspired by new meow mix bistro recipes, made with real chicken for delicious bistro flavor. no wonder it's the only one cats ask for by name. but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. if you want to carmax will give you seven days to consider their offer. why seven days? science. join me as we walk through the seven stages of decisioning. 1. consideration.

2. questioning. 3. deciding. 4. queso. 5. nap. 6. sudoku. 7. tambourine practice. i think i made my point. they'll give you an offer for your car, you take seven days to think about it. ♪ we're back now at 7:40. 64 officers were shot and killed in the line of duty in 2016. that is a 68% increase from just last year. >> this morning we're hearing from some of the families during this difficult time for them. msnbc's ari melber is here with their stories. >> good morning. according to the national law enforcement memorial fund, 21 of those officers were killed in ambush attacks this year, specifically targeting police. for a special report on nbcnews.com, we spoke to more than one dozen family members of

those fallen officers. >> tonight, breaking news. dallas police ambush. five killed, seven-yard by sniper fire. >> when it came on the news that officers had been shot, i valer 32-year-old son patrick was a dallas police officer on duty that night, a job he had dreamed of since he was a little boy. did you worry about him when he was on the job? >> of course. as a family, we all were worried about him. especially with everything that's been going on. >> reporter: patrick was a three-type veteran of the iraq war, the middle child of a tight-knit ft. worth family and father of a 3-year-old little girl. tell me about patrick. who was he? >> patrick was a sweet, caring, lovable person. >> reporter: on the night of july 7th, their nightmare came true. >> they just told me that he had been shot.

and that he didn't make it. my heart is broken. >> reporter: this year the family christmas tree pays tribute to patrick and the reality that he won't be coming home is still sinking in. >> to wake up and know that he's not here, that i can't call him, hear his voice again, you just don't want to face the world. >> reporter: in california, another family knows this pain too well. >> every single day there's something that reminds us of her and the pain of losing her. >> reporter: on october t 8th, their daughter was killed in an ambush attack in palm springs. >> it was just a perfect storm of bad things that happened. >> reporter: she had just returned from maternity leave when david, a retired officer with be got word his daughter was killed. >> every time one of these officers is assassinated like

our beautiful daughter was, i feel it now because i know that that family's going through. which is a living hell. >> reporter: in place of christmas decorations at the cling house are photos and mementoses of their youngest daughter, gone too soon. they say they're trying to stay strong for their son-in-law, zachary, also a police officer, and their 6-month-old granddaughter who celebrated her first christmas without her mom. >> pretty much every day is just a challenge to get up and put one foot in front of the other because we miss her so much. she was the light of our life. >> reporter: now it is the smallest members of these families, two little girls, who are leading the way to a path of healing. >> you can read more about these officers and our conversations with other families of slain officers this year at today.com. >> ari, oh, my goodness. when you see this story and you know these things happen, we cover them as news people but to

see those families there and trying to rebuild, what's giving them inspiration? i know the children, but what else? >> a lot of the families we spoke to talked about looking back at what their officers had said and done in their lives that that model gives them hope. >> all right, ari. coming up, a tribute to our troops as jay leno gives one wounded warrior the surprise of her life, something that will bring a smile to your face today. and, how people are honoring the unforgettable life of debbie reynolds. this morning ronan farrow is in this morning ronan farrow is in the orange room with th this is my body of proof. this morning ronan farrow is in the orange room with th proof of less joint pain. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis.

humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. humira. what's your body of proof?

[ cough ] shh. i have a cold with this annoying runny nose. better take something. dayquil liquid gels doesn't treat a runny nose. it doesn't? alka-seltzer plus cold and cough liquid gels fight your worst cold symptoms including your runny nose. oh, what a relief it is! ♪ dad, i'm ready. did you look outside? ♪

sure is coming down. she'll be there. ♪ ♪ ♪ hey. hey. ♪ experience the winter event happening now. i'm not a customer, but i'm calling about that credit scorecard. give it. sure! it's free for everyone. oh! well that's nice! and checking your score won't hurt your credit. oh! i'm so proud of you. well thank you. free at at discover.com/creditscorecard,

even if you're not a customer. welcome back to "today."

ronan farrow is in the orange room talking, unfortunately, to the reaction of another stunning death in hollywood. >> i thought when i was in the orange room i would get to cover the latest viral crazing can something feel-good. here we are for the third time this week talking about the loss of an icon, debbie reynolds who lost her daughter the day before. cher tweeted this is beyond heartbreaking. b debbie was an idol. >> the world is finding ways to mourn both mother and also daughter. a light saber vigil people had at disneyland. on the hollywood walk of fame where debbie doesn't have a star, fans created one for her. last month carrie fisher said of her mom there are very few women from her generation who worked like that, raised children, had horrible relationships and lost all her money and got it back again. my mom knew debbie reynolds and she loved her and she kept coming back to the fact that she was tough. debbie reynolds had two husbands take every penny she had.

she always found a joke in the tragedy. she always fought and sang and danced her way back. i stayed up watching clips of her. she just carried herself with such dignity and humor and race. grace. a lesson for her kids. >> how about somebody give carrie fisher a star on the hollywood walk of fame. >> they redeveloped such a close bond and it was almost like -- courtney asked me, my daughter, is it possible for somebody to die of a broken heart? i said, yeah, i think so, sweetheart. >> we've done stories on that. >> i think debbie knew that her daughter needed her. >> thank you very much, ronan. just ahead, why agagwyneth paltrow says she is a role model when it comes to divorce. this morning, guys, we're going to check in on our pal, wrangler, our first puppy with a

purpose.

we rely on our courage. the kind of courage that shows up when we need it... and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it.

give now to the american cancer society. sinci've lost over 40 pounds. weight watchers, i can honestly tell you, i struggle no more. i've eaten everything i love. tacos, pasta... i've never felt deprived. i would say to anybody who's thinking about joining weight watchers... take the leap, and get about the business of enjoying a fantastic and full life. in the first 2 months members have lost 15% more weight than on our prior program.

join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. it's a really big deal. and with fever, aches, and chills, mom knows it needs a big solution: an antiviral. don't kid around with the flu, call your doctor within the first 48 hours of symptoms and ask about prescription tamiflu. attack the flu virus at its source with tamiflu, an antiviral that helps stop it from spreading in the body. tamiflu in liquid form is fda approved to treat the flu in people two weeks of age and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior, stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures, confusion, or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea, vomiting and headache.

anti-flu? go antiviral with tamiflu.

>> announcer: nbc10 news starts now. good morning, i'm tracy davidson. just a few minutes before 8:00. as predicted snow and wintry mix is coming down in portions of bucks and lehigh counties right now. an nbc10 crew caught this turnpike commission plough salting north of yquakertown. let's get you updated as the precipitation moves in with "first alert" meteorologist erika martin. >> we're seeing sleet, wintery mix and light snow being reported for most. now, you're seeing all of the air moving towards the north. widespread rain. philadelphia getting reports of light snow as well. be mindful of those in the lehigh valley. keep in mind, it's not just snow that you're getting, sleet and wintery mix. and freezing rain, a little more dangerous. hour-by-hour forecast, starting

at 7:00 a.m. 10:30, 11:00 a.m., all clearing, the good news, it won't be a total washout but be mindful of the early morning commute. >> nbc10 "first alert" traffic reporter jessica boyington is watching the roads for you, jessica. >> slippery conditions, no surprises we've seen accidents on the on and off ramp. northbound side. coming off the academy road, off-ramp here, looking better than a few moments ago. not a lot of traffic moving by the scene right now. we're not seeing typical morning volume. over in the right-hand shoulder. >> here's a live look at the penn's landing riverrink. it will be the place to be on new year's eve. saturday night will feature two fireworks displays. nbc10 will broadcast the fireworks live at 6:00 p.m.

and sugar. i'm traegs davidson. about bassett. you really can custom make your furniture exactly how you want. it's all about customization. the possibilities are endless.

it's 8:00 on "today." coming up, double dose of sadness. >> my mother, debbie reynolds! >> just one day after losing daughter carrie fisher, hollywood icon debbie reynolds passes away at the age of 84. her son saying simply, she's gone to be with her. this morning as tributes pour if from around the world, we look back at the star's life and career. plus, the ride of a lifetime. >> there's nothing i can't overcome. >> jay leno brings us the story of a wounded warrior and a surprise she won't soon forget. >> hey, marcus, what do you think of that car? >> jay will let you drive. and wrangler's new role. >> we hit the bond quick.

>> we'll check in with our original puppy with a purpose now a full-time guide dog helping his owner live the california dream "today," thursday, december 29th, 2016. ♪ my first day of retirement on "today"! >> happy birthday, dad, down in houston, texas! >> shout out to our friends at home! >> shout out to all of our friends in san antonio, texas. >> celebrating the new year on the "today" show. woo! welcome back to "today" on this thursday morning. matt, of course, is off. savannah, spending some time with baby charlie and vail and her family, wishing them well as we are out here on the plaza

with everybody. good morning, everybody. >> that was my throwback thursday song. >> what was that? >> elton john, "tiny dancer." we just had a whole debate, almost famous is one of my favorite movies of all-time. he ranked it as good. it's fantastic. >> that's what you do new year's eve when you are hanging out. meanwhile, good morning to you, it is time to get ready for the new year celebration. a lot of people here are going to be hanging out in times square, right? this morning weaver's g've got to all of your last-minute dilemmas, simple snacks to share and how to shop in your own closet for something to wear. first, a check of today's top headlines. here's your "news at 8." >> reporter: we begin with

another heart breaking loss. i'm stephanie gosk. a truly shocking turn of events. carrie fisher and her mother, debbie reynolds, passing away just a day apart. now the world is mourning two legends of the screen and stage. >> ladies and gentlemen, stop that girl. stop her! >> reporter: this morning, another hollywood tragedy. screen legend debbie reynolds dead at the age of 84, just one day after losing her daughter, "star wars" icon, carrie fisher. reynolds' son telling nbc news, she's gone to be with carrie. she loved taking care of her and now she's gone to be with her. still grieving the death of her daughter, reynolds was rushed to the hospital wednesday after having trouble breathing. an emergency vehicle seen here in this tmz video. last night word came reynolds, too, had died. her son reportedly saying she suffered a stroke. a product of hollywood's golden age, the actress launched to

super stardom in the 1950s starring as gene kelly's dancing partner in "singing in the rain." her incredible talent quickly making her a household name and a national treasure. later earning her an oscar nomination for playing "the unsinkable molly brown." >> you and i, louie, we're just fooling ourselves. >> reporter: a role she reflected on last year at the screen actor's guild awards with daughter carrie by herself. >> thank you all very much. >> reporter: she married singer eddie fisher in the late 'fi50s and together they had two children. but the hollywood star suffered personal heartbreak when her husband left her for their close friend, elizabeth taylor. >> i don't blame anybody but myself but i just seem to have very poor taste in men. >> reporter: reynolds remarried and divorced two more times. through it all, watching her daughter become her own

hollywood icon. their relationship at times timultuous. but in later years finding each other again and developing a strong mother/daughter bond, both of their journeys ending just a day apart. in addition to her on-screen performances, debbie reynolds is also known to children as the voice of the spider in "charlotte's web." since the word of carrie fisher's death, her books have catapult catapulted, "princess diaries." to number one. now to president-elect trump. he's emerged from his mar-a-lago estate taking a much different tone about president obama after blasting him on twitter. nbc's hallie jackson is in west palm beach with more for us. hallie, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. yeah, complaints turning to contradictions for president-elect trump. a half-day after bemoaning

president obama and what he called a transition that wasn't going quite so smoothly. donald trump said this. >> he called me. we had a very, very good talk about generally about things. he was in hawaii. and it was a very, very nice call. i actually thought we covered a lot of territory. >> reporter: but donald trump is clearly not seeing eye to eye with the current administration over israel. he vented frustration over the united nations after that controversial security council resolution reprimanding israel for west bank settlements. secretary of state john kerry standing by the u.s. decision not to block that vote. russia is also in the international spotlight today expected to face new punishment soon from the obama administration for basically trying to interfere with the u.s. election. tamron? carson? back to you. in other news, the fire chief in waldo, maine went beyond the normal call of duty

to rescue some stolen mail. it also found him in some very icy water. turns out teenagers had stolen some mail and dumped it over the side of the bridge and on to the ice below. that's when the chief got the call for the cold water retrieval. in all, three bags of mail were recovered. two teenagers have been arrested. >> hopefully there is a really big check in the mail that was worthy of retrieving. just ahead, we'll put a smile on your face with this man's attempt at the hottest board game of the year. it is hilarious video! oscar winner gwyneth paltrow taking on her critics and opening up about her divorce from coldplay's chris martin. then, jay leno takes an american hero for a ride

you know how it is, someone does something nice for you and you feel obligated to do something nice back. maybe your aunt sent you a crocheted scarf, you sent a thank you note... and the crochet just kept on coming. well, at carmax, you don't have to return the favor. they'll buy your car even if you don't buy a car from them. because feeling obligated is uncomfortable. and tight. in places it shouldn't be.

carmax won't make you feel that way. lucky you. i feel like a quilt. when you make a pb&j with smucker's, that's the difference between ordinary everyday and exquisitely delicious in an everyday sort of way. because with a name like smucker's, it has to be good.

it is 8:10 with what's "trending" today. guys, you know we love a good meal around here. this is what's "trending." tomorrow, some pretty sad news out here. the famous carnegie deli is going to be shutting its doors. gone tomorrow. the new york institution first opened up in 1937 and became famous for its corned beef and pastrami sandwich. >> and the size of the sandwich. small family of three could live off it. >> henry kissinger, meryl streep, warren beatty, halle berry, many, many more. we wanted to honor this deli and get one bite of the original before it closed so we brought in some sandwiches. i've got corned beef. i've never had one.

i've lived here ten years. you have papastrami. >> one is boiled, we've learned. >> one's smoked. different spices. i was just there not more than maybe six weeks ago with norman leer. it was terrific. it is still -- growing up in new york, that was one of your righ rites of passage. >> how much was this thing? >> 17 pounds. >> pastrami and corned beef is better the next day. >> this could last you an entire week. >> let me just take a bite. >> you will not. >> while we are stuffing our faces, let's check in on our good friends down in southwest florida. on "trending" on wednesday, thousands had been tuning in to watch harriet and m-15, two bald eagles who are going to become parents any minute now. >> is this live? >> it is live. >> it could make up for a week

of tragedy if they'd just give birth on air for us. >> he needs to change his name. m-15. one of those merge hollywood names. okay, guys, this video i've watched it now countless times. it caught my eye yesterday. i even sent it to savannah guthrie on her maternity leave. matt rogers, a tv personality on the hallmark channel posted this cute video of his young daughter attempting the water bottle challenge. she's surrounded by what i think are her brothers, younger boys, but they're older than her and i don't think they think she has game. take a look. watch it until the end. >> i haven't seen this. >> look at that! >> dab it. >> boom! >> i love her. this video is so awesome.

>> but the brothers are happy for her. >> they're so happy. >> she was on america's got talent, i would vote for her. i would hit the golden buzzer. >> i told savannah, first of all, she reminds me of vail, the curly hair, spunky personality. >> i don't know if it's better than that but this is right up there. you heard the new game speak out? i feel like everybody got this this holiday season. you take a large mouthpiece an put it in your mouth then you read a sentence that's hard to understand. people try and figure out what exactly you are saying but you've got this crazy thing in your mouth. this video is a grandpa attempting to play the game when something goes horribly wrong. >> his teeth! >> oh! oh! >> amy metcalfe taylor posted

the video on facebook. that's her 88-year-old grandpa losing his dentures. that video's been moved 35 million times by me alone. >> that's why i wouldn't bite into the sandwich on live television. you done eating? >> i am. let's do "popstart!." >> this new year's eve, kathie lee and hoda are going to host a special here on nbc called "a host to 2016." it is a highlight reel for the year. it features some of the wildest pop culture moments, videos that went viral and some crazy trends that made this year very, very memorable. some stars got together and they've got some moments to talk about. here's a clip. >> 2016 gave us a whole new definition of this. >> who started dabbing? >> the dab is associated with cam newton and the carolina panthers. >> who came up with dabbing? with the first time doing the moves? i made it up.

>> the water bottle challenge. what we don't see on the internet is all the practice it took to get there. >> it is like you have a permanent broken screen door. just -- bam! bam! bam! knock it off with the bottle of water! >> that's where it began right there. watch katie lee -- kathie lee, excuse me. >> what did you say? >> kathie lee and hoda. >> get in the chopper! >> called "full toast to 2016." saturday at 8:00, 7:00 central. if anybody's speaking english by midnight you're not drinking enough. and then it is the rose parade on nbc. with yours truly and hoda kotb. >> that's right. you're zbrg to logoing to love . gwyneth paltrow made some

comments to ""in style" magazine about her divorce. she thinks the way they have he a handled their divorce has made a very positive impact on the way she's viewed. she says he's at my house every single day. we have our own lives but we still have our family life. i honestly think chris and i have posited something very popular to divorce. >> take a bullet? that's a a little extreme. wow. what's happening in her life that somebody might -- come on! >> someone's got her back. last here, our heartfelt congratulations go out to pink and her husband, kerry hart. in november pink surprised fans with the announcement the couple is expecting their second child here posing with her 5-year-old daughter willow. the day after christmas they

welcomed jamison moon hart. in 2010 pink revealed jamison's always been a name she looked. she explained her dad's name is james and kerry's middle name are both jason. they put the name together and they both enjoy a little whiskey. >> that's cute! >> that's a celebrity name for sure. al, you done? >> no, not quite. put a dent in it. tamron did take a bite out of the sandwich. >> multiple bites. speaking of new year's eve and carson daly, you're looking at mostly cloudy skies for the ball drop at midnight. 40 degrees so it should be fairly mild and light winds. let's look at the weekend ahead as far as new year's weekend, saturday heavy rain down through the gulf. rain and snow in the pacific northwest. snow upstate new york and parts of new england. then as we move into midnight,

on new year's, looks wet as you get down to the gulf, heavy rain through the southwt. thates's i'm first alert meteorologist erika martin. we are clearing some snow showers from southwest toward the northeast across the lehigh valley, but tracking some widespread rain after that. temperatures for today topping out in the mid-40s but we will have a gusty afternoon into an early friday. of course, new year's eve, what can you expect? partly to mostly cloudy skies. it will be dry. temperatures overnight in the 30s, tracking some showers possibly for next monday into tuesday, other wise for today for the lehigh valley give yourself extra time for that commute. back at the best of "today" in in 2016. this morning, something special from our good friend jay leno. >> for years, he's been helping support our troops and he proved it once again when he surprised a remarkable soldier wounding when she was stationed in afghanistan.

>> specialist stephanie morris had just exchanged birthday gifts with a roommate when the grenades hit. >> two rpgs came in back-to-back. i was on the ground and i seen everybody else laying there. i started screaming. >> she wrapped her present, a mickey mouse blanket, around her best friend to stop the bleeding. >> it was something you never want to see. with your own child, just laying flat in that bed with tubes and blood everywhere and it was just -- it was too much. >> it is the day that she lived and they didn't. it was a day that she fell asleep in one country, and woke up in another. and it was a day that she looked down and her body wasn't the same.

>> she spent the next three years at walter reed fighting to save her leg. >> when i first got to walter lead i was in denial about everything. i didn't want to talk to anybody. how do you push forward when you were the only survivor and the other four were kia? >> reporter: slowly through the sport she once loved, stephanie found her way back. >> she went from a loner to, in my opinion, the face of walter reed. she's everywhere. there isn't a person that doesn't know her and heard her laugh wheel through their hallways. >> and after three dozen failed surgeries, she had had enough. on july 4th, doctors amputated stephanie's leg. you always hear about the greatest generation but you realize every generation that fights is really the greatest generation. if i can do something to help her or just make her smile or laugh, hey, i've done my job. i hope. how are you?

how you doing? what's going on? i'm guessing that's stephanie. hi, steph, how you doing? >> how are you? >> i'm okay. this looks hard. you want to play? >> i can tell when i'm being hustled. yeah, let's put money on it. yeah. yeah. >> put your feet back. >> don't want somebody clip them. you might end up like me. >> you guys play hard. oh, no. so close! >> i obviously have no game, we do have one thing in common -- we both like to go fast. >> we can race in wheelchairs and see who is the fastest. >> all right, sure. >> hey! no cheating! hey! >> remember the tortoise and the hare. >> you ready for some real wheels? >> yeah. >> i'll tell you for a drive. >> y'all crazy. >> it is a beautiful day!

good day for a convertible. we had a great heart to heart as we cruised through virginia on the banks of the potomac. >> so the worst part is over now? >> um, yeah. regardless of what goes on, i've dealt with the worst of the worst of what my life is going to be. there's nothing i can't overcome. >> you want to give this thing a try? >> sure. >> okay. >> now i'm not saying i'm going to be a good driver, but -- >> step on it. go, baby, go! floor it! you drive many sports cars? >> no. >> this the first sports car you've ever driven? >> yeah. >> oh, wow. you'll be racing sports cars pretty soon. >> i wish. how many cars do you have? >> ooh, boy, you sound like my wife. about 150. >> 150 cars? >> yeah.

yeah. i know. >> i'm probably that way with shoes. >> well, there you go. how many shoes you got? >> 70 pair. >> 70. >> yeah. >> we covered a lot of ground on our little road trip. stephanie is studying to become a nurse. she's engaged to be married, and she misses her mom back in ohio. >> if i would have known you would be here, maybe i would have flew her down here. >> that would have been cool. all right, mt. vernon, half a mile. this is george washington's house here. pull up here. i'll show you. time for a little history lesson. >> this is amazing. >> so you never been here, huh? >> no. >> this is your commander in chief's house. this is where washington sat. he as a soldier, what do you feel like? >> my heart is beating fast. to sit up here where your commander in chief was, dream come true, actually.

>> george washington sat on this very porch and looked over here and -- >> got time to sit up here and reflect on everything. >> so much history. you've never seen this memorial, have you? >> no. >> the purple heart was originated by george washington himself. and you've got one. >> i do. >> i mean that's pretty impressive. >> it's really like just bittersweet. >> yeah, i know. i know what you mean. you certainly deserve it. how you doing? you all right? come on, i got one other thing for you. let's go down here. i'll show you the real reason i brought you down backwards. there is one more surprise for stephanie. we brought her mom, brother and nephew in from ohio.

>> come on! >> hey, marcus, what do you think of that car? >> jay will let you drive? >> i tell you what, marcus -- >> he'll let you drive it. >> aunt stephanie can let you drive. it's your car. thanks for your service. >> that's not funny. >> it's your car. >> no. >> it's your car. >> thank you. >> how sweet is that! >> we're looking back at the best of those pieces that we did this year. that juan, jay was here, so incredible. >> 20,000 wounded in afghanistan in that situation alone. >> so understated. it's yours. >> he's such a huge supporter of the troops. >> we had the uso on yesterday. you were there as well. they were so grateful for what you've done in the past. guys, coming up we'll check with our old pal wrangler and see what he's been up to since

he left studio 1a. plus our ultimate new year's eve planning guide from three simple ingredient dis just about 8:26 on thursday morning. we have your first alert forecast. erika martin what are you seeing now? >> fog developing as the warm front slides on through. warm air is starting to slide into place. live look outside see how thick and soupy that fog is. satellite and radar picking up on the rain moving from the southwest toward the northeast. the system will redevelop along the coastline, locally we're seeing rain showers and some snow showers for the lehigh valley, everything clearing by 3:00 p.m. looks like we'll see a quarter inch of rain to perhaps under a half inch of rain when it's said

and done. it looks like a partly cloudy second half of the day. back to you, tracy. this is a good day to download the nbc 10 to stay on top of this morning's messy weather. let's check the roads with jessica boyington, has her eye on those. what are you seeing? >> slippery spots, this is one on 95 academy road off-ramp from the northbound side of 95, you can see people out and about here, earlier the ramp completely blocked off. watching for slippery spots. the schuylkill expressway not seeing much in terms of delays for our typical morning commute but right now a little slow because of the weather eastbound and westbound 18 minutes and blue route to the vine. today a man struck in the head by a bullet on new year's eve in 1998 will share a story again so no one else will get hurt. he's been joining philadelphia law enforcement every year to talk about the dangers of celebratory gunfire.

welcome back, everyone. it is 8:30 now on a thursday morning, december 29th, 2016. we're taking selfies, doing all kinds of things. she's videotaping me. carson, you're going to have to take over. >> why don't you start it off, carson. the year's winding down quickly. in this half-hour getting you ready for your new year's eve celebrations. that's right. first up for your celebration, we got to talk about the grub. we've got recipes for not one, not two, but six different three-ingredient -- just need three ingredients. then it is time for fashion. if you can't figure out what to wear, we're going to show you how to raid your own closet to

make your own clothes feel trendy all over again. we have an update on our old buddy, wrangler. our first puppy with a purpose is a guide dog. kicking off 2017, celebrating matt's 20th year as host of the "today" show. with savannah on maternity leave, is he going to be joined by a very special guest co-host, katie couric in the house, her first time in that role on show since she left. how long ago was it, al, that she left? >> about a decade. >> a decade indeed. you would have won that on jeopardy. >> great to have katie back in studio 1a. let's see what's going on. first of all, we're going to start off with "today." heavy snow developing as a low pressure system moves up the coast. got a nor'easter going, rain in the pacific northwest, southeast looking a little wet, too. rest the country looks pretty darn good. tomorrow, lake-effect snow and windy conditions around the great lakes.

midsection of the country, unseasonably mild. rain returning into southern california and some snow interior sections of the pacific northwest. all sorts of nice folks hanging around out here today. that's what's goi ng i'm first alert meteorologist erika martin. we are clearing some snow showers from southwest toward the northeast across the lehigh valley, but tracking some widespread rain after that. temperatures for today topping out in the mid-40s but we will have a gusty afternoon into an early friday. of course, new year's eve, what can you expect? partly to mostly cloudy skies. it will be dry. temperatures overnight in the 30s, tracking some showers possibly for next monday into tuesday, otherwise for today for the lehigh valley give yourself extra time for that commute. and that is your latest weather. make sur make sure you get your weather any time you need it, will you check out the weather channel on cable? >> yes. >> yes, you will.

all right. your son brought you to new york city. very nice. georgia bulldogs. who's retired? >> first day of retirement! >> god bless you. way to go. let's head back inside to miss hall. now to "today puppy." our buddy charlie just turned six months old this week and we are loving his time here in studio 1a. >> charlie is taking a little cat nap at the moment. we always have a very special place in our hearts for our original puppy with a purpose, wrangler. so what has wrangler been up to? have a look. >> come here! >> reporter: from the very first moment we met wrangler, he instantly became a member of our family. our puppy with a purpose brightens our mornings while learning skills necessary to become a guide dog. we followed his journey every step of the way. now 21 months later, wrangler

graduated from guiding eyes for the blind and finally met his new family. >> i'm bill stevens. i've never had much vision at all. lost almost all of that, 99% of what i had i lost when i was 14. >> reporter: bill is a music professor at the university of santa clara. ♪ swapping the studio for the stage, yawrangler is still in t spotlight but trading in morning news for the smooth sounds of jazz. >> it's great to have a dog who's really comfortable with music. i'm even exploring the idea of having him beside me when i perform which is not something that i've done with my other dogs. >> reporter: for wrangler and bill the connection was also instant. >> we're in my room at guiding eyes that first night. i'm sitting on the floor and wrangler's licking my face and putting a paw in my lap, then

another paw, then putting a paw on my shoulder, just trying to knock me over backward with face kisses. we hit the bond quickly. >> reporter: wrangler helps bill live and independent life. >> wrangler will walk me back and forth to meetings, to the pool, i love to swim. >> our puppy with a purpose finally finding that purpose and we are honored to have been a part of the journey. >> having a dog is very liberating and it is liberating in the context of companionship. >> it feels so good that we are wrangler from the beginning and all the things that happened around here were a small part of helping bill every day. >> good mission. bill says wrangler loves to be active in the mornings and that he loves listening to people sing. >> wrangler traded up. up next, as promised, three-ingredient crowd pleasers to serve up at your new year's eve get-together. but first, this is "today" on

nbc. we just moved into this house and didn't realize how difficult it was going to be to tie all that space together. with an open floor plan, you need to separate it with furniture. bassett had everything that we needed. fabric combinations marry the rooms together.

having someone with bassett has been invaluable. we could've never dreamed up this room without bassett.

back at 8:38 with "today stress-free holiday." if you've been busy entertaining friends and family this week, you probably want your new year's celebration to be as easy as possible. we have six different three-ingredient recipes. how are we going to make great food with just three ingredients. but looks like you've done it. >> i've got a whole bunch of fun stuff for you. this is a regular full-fat ricotta, a little bit of heavy cream and some lemon zest. a pinch of salt. just whip it up. let that go for about five minutes. it get really light, fluffy, creamy. a little bit of olive oil on

top. serve it with crustini or veggies. >> that's easy. you picked up ricotta and a lenmond a some snacks. >> so simple. all right. so then over here, i've got some chipotle shrimp skewers. i'm using chipotle and adobo sauce. extra large shrimp. get them peeled, deveined, nice and easy. little bit of lime juice. salt again. mix them up and i think you just about ten minutes. got some skewers. soak them in water. that will keep them from burning? >> why do you seek them in water? >> it keeps them from burning so when you put them under the broiler or grill them. >> right. >> then i like to do about three on a skewer.

under the broiler, on a grill. serve with guacamole. over here, this is a twist on pigs in a blanket. cor chorizo. puff pastry. cut into little rectangles and roll it it up. these go into the oven 20, 25 minutes until they are puffed up and golden like this. you like heat. do you? >> i do. once you eat this pig in a blanket, it is hard to go back to the regular one. >> i'm doing a little corn syrup right on top. >> that puff pastry is delicious. >> this is for your brunch on new year's day. cinnamon rolls. monkey bread. using cinnamon roles which you

just buy if had the buy in the store. berries, melted butter. it goes into a prepared pan. >> this is the end he result of this three ingredients? >> yes. this is the glaze that comes with the cinnamon rolls. this is regular breakfast sausages, cranberry juice which you probably have from your party. it is going to work. maple syrup. let it boil. let it cook down. glazed, delicious, sausages. finally our eggs. saving you big time. instead of chopping up potatoes, we are using potato chips. saute onions, add potato chips, eggses. you get this gorgeous spanish style -- >> that looks delicious!

we've been cooking, preparing for every single meal. for new year's, these are some great really, really easy ideas. of course you can find the recipes at today.com/food. up next, festive outfits you can pull off with things that you might already own. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

we are back on in thursday morning with "today's style." if you are still searching for the perfect outfit for new year's eve, the answer may actually be hanging in your closet already. here to explain is today.com style editor, emily sherr. is this from your closet? >> half from my closet. mix and match. >> you have four models.

>> there is no need to spend a lot of money. you already own it. it is about remixing what you have in your closet already. it is about making something look fresh. doesn't actually have to be from the store. >> i think we are starting with corinne. the little black dress. every woman has a little back dress. it looks so great on. last time she wore it she paired it with these pattern tights and a statement necklace which was the look of 2012 when she wore it. this year try wearing something underneath the dress. we have this nice lace top from h & m. it looks like a brand-new dress. $25 from h & m. that's all it takes. over-the-knee boots are the look of the moment. she'll wear all those throughout the season. a fun spherical bag makes that look brand-new. >> i would not have guessed that is the same dress.

>> she's worn it before, she's owned it for years. >> you could wear that two places and no one would know. come over and have some champagne with us. this is a draess phyllis has won in the past. >> it is actually two pieces. phyllis just felt like it was maybe a little bit too much sparkle. you can wear that sparkly tank again but pair it with a different fabric. it is different than the monotone look. >> the whole slip look is major and this is perfect. >> she could be wearing a slip dress underneath that and just put the tank top on top. but something really special. phyllis is really showing how you can shop your closet. these are her shoes she had. those earrings she actually wore on her wedding day. you have those kind of special occasion pieces, you can wear them again. >> that's a good point. the shoes, they're metallic, a beautiful bronze color.

those shoes you can wear forever, dress them up, dress them down. >> bronze is a neutral. >> come on over and have a glass of champagne at our party. next up, amber. let's look at what amber has in her closet. that's already cute. >> this is actually a new piece that amber bought. she bought the velvet body suit but what do i pair of it with? we decided to put it with a great pencil skirt. this happens to be faux leather with studs. this capelet. something that amber was saying is that she wants to go out in new york city but be warm. that way she'll be dressed up with her outer wear and then she can take off her kate cape and y show that new piece off. >> you've given this new life. i love that. >> she can wear that velvet body

suit again with jeans. >> you can wear that skirt over and over. come on over. next up, kelly ann. she has a leopard top. >> she has this kind of show-stopping piece, this leopard sheer top that she says makes her so confident. >> i think new year's eve is a great time to shop for things that you will wear in 2017. try something trendy. these great black jeans, frayed hem and distressed fabric. buy those now, wear them forever. >> i'm obsessed with those boots. the boots are amazing. >> embroidered velvet with this pattern. mix and match patterns. it is a really hot trend right now. >> what's the purse? >> this is a belt bag. kelly wanted to be dance free and boogie the night away. a belt bag from zara.

a couple credit cards and she's ready to go out. >> i want to hang out with you wherever you're going because you've got the moves. happy new year's ladies. you look beautiful. you're dressed a little early but you can just stay in this and make it happen. emily, thank you. great job. for more looks -- or these looks, and other new year's eve ideas, go to today.com/style. that is amazing. up next, waste not, want not. inside the growing movement that's making the most of your food scraps. but first, this is "today" -- cheers -- on nbc.

welcome back to "today." plenty of people make new year's resolutions to eat less. what about wasting less? >> yes. "today" national correspondent craig melvin is here with more on a new mission that's growing fast. >> good morning, guys. every year americans waste almost as much food as they grow but one company is trying to change that strap by scrap. >> reporter: there's a movement stirring inside this stock and it is made from the tops and trimmings of discarded produce. business as usual as new york city's havens kitchen where soups, sand watwichesandwiches,

and pestos are made up with scrap. >> the restaurant use is utilizing waste putting those scraps most people throw away into foods we eat. >> reporter: from farm to fork to fill, every year american consumers throw away $165 billion worth of food. that's 40% of what's grown for human consumption. at baldor, one of the northeast's largest produce distributors, they are flips around the word scraps and turning it into starks. the company's director of sustainability. >> when we think about sparks, we think of any food product discarded from production. the carrot peel, outer leaves from romaine. >> reporter: each week 150 pounds of sparks are generating from their fresh cuts operation and sent off to find new homes. a win-win for the bottom line and the environment. at washington, d.c.'s misfit,

72% of their juice varieties are cold pressed. double brook farm in new jersey receives biweekly deliveries. while baldor is a leading force in the quest to reduce food waste, they are not alone. in northern california, imperfect produce delivers rejected fruits and vegetables like these to homes and offices in the bay area. watermelon water which attracted investor beyonce in 2016, squeezes sun burned and scarred melons into a hydrating fruit drink and across the pond, ru rubies in the rubble turned radishes into relishes. >> i advise people to take those scraps, put them in the freezer. all the scraps have nutritional value in them. >> as of this month, baldor is zero organic landfill which means none of its organic waste will make its way to landfills, a trend they hope will catch on

with their competitors as well. >> it is a great idea. is that an restaurant you can go. >> yeah. recipes on how you can cook with your own scraps at home, head to today.com. and now we're in for a treat. ronan farrow is in the orange room and he has a big responsibility. smucker's celebrates "today" is sponsored by smucker's. with a name like smucker's, it has to be good. it has to be good. guys, 2017 is right around the corner. we're celebrating a different kind of milestone new year's eve birthdays. i sympathize, i am a december 19d 19th baby. i know scourge of holiday presents. a few people born on the 31st, jamie's dad turns 72 on the 31st but is never too old to whack a pinata. kerry's son, john, is going to

spend his 21st birthday serving our current in the air force. thanks for your service, john. sincerely. and take a look at this, adorable sydney is going to be 2 on new year's eve. that's pretty cute. michelle says she can make anyone smile. i buy it. keep celebrating those new year's eve birthdays by celebrating tod today.com/celebrates. we're back with some money saving tips for the new year. and you are back on "today's take." where are you been? >> just hanging out with family. >> you miss us? >> i didn't watch. i'll be honest with you. that's why i'm on vacation. >> we're just tv friends? we're going to discuss this. >> we're very good friends but -- you know. that's the way it is. >> only when i'm in your face. >> well? love the one you're with. that's why it's called vacation. but first we got your local news and weather. you know what i'm talking about. right!

this morning on "today's take," top moments from 2016 koubding down to 2017 with hacks to get the party started. a look ahead to the best of 2017. and what that marching band member did all on a bet. coming up now. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is "today's take" live from studio 1a if had ron rockefelle. welcome to "today" on a thursday morning, december 29th, 2016. we're all back together. >> yeah. the two of us. >> yes. >> did you -- we'll talk about what you did later. >> you want to knowdy watch the show while i was gone. the answer is no. i was on vacation.

>> and i said, but, you know, like don't you miss us? are you kind of curious what we're up to? >> no. i mean the program goes on. i know the level of excellence that has been set by our producers and our crew will continue to be reached. >> see? they turn on you. >> no, they were laughing. that wasn't the sound of a mob. that was laughter. >> griuys, put down those pitch forks. tituss burgess was a co-host. >> really? >> you really didn't watch. >> no! what part of "i didn't watch" don't you get? >> how did i know i cooked on a grill? >> i saw it on instagram. >> you were stalking me. >> no. it just happened to be in the feed. the resolution for you in 2017 -- not all about you.

>> yeah. yeah, it is. >> no! no. >> put down the pitch forks, guys. it's cool. >> it's all good. >> i feel like we're not just tv friends. >> no, we're friends. >> we are real life people who love each other. >> but when people go away -- people work, who are friends, they go away. they don't necessarily check in every -- i mean if you -- we were working if an office. okay? >> but we don't. >> but if we were, i wouldn't call in to the office and see how we were doing. i would just assume you're doing okay. i just trust that you're fine. if anything was wrong, i would find out. >> yeah. i'd be in the news. >> exactly. >> i now have a new definition -- at least i have twitter friends. >> that's true. those are your friends. >> what did you do in your time off since you don't talk to me? >> i did a lot of cooking. >> i saw on instagram. >> on instagram. my dad used to make these cinnamon buns. i've kind of taken that role.

for christmas when we are opening frenpresents you can sm cinnamon buns baking. i continue the ugly sweater contest. bill murray -- this is last year. i broke that out. >> look how slim you look. >> well, that was before christmas. i'm in bigger clothes now. did a lot of cooking. tried this recipe. you've got to try this. see those biscuits? it is from a magazine, "garden and gun." >> like a country. >> but it is actually very interesting magazine. >> was that all one meal? >> no. breakfast was in the lower left there. i also made bacon fat ginger snaps. >> i saw that again on your instagram because i was insta stalking you. were they good? >> very were delicious. i got that recipe from the "new york times." and then if you are an animation fan, a saturday morning cartoon fan, you have got to go to the

norman rockwell museum in stockbridge. there is an exhibit there. it is the first museum retrospective of the art of hanna barbara. >> how did you find this? >> it is not too far from where we have a house upstate. lela saw a billboard for it and said, let's go. >> who's that short guy to the left of those kids? >> that would be me. >> that would be the little man. there are so many great cells and original drawings and memorabilia. you have got to go. >> maybe you'll talk me and the family when you guys go. because we're close like that. wow. okay. so you know, while you were gone, lot of people filled in. your catchphrase is -- >> here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> and we understatemeestimated

difficult it is. first of all, have you a trademark. we have to pay him every time we say it. >> now let's take a look at the weather. >> you are filling in this morning. you wanted to do the weather. >> not for time to check the weather in your neck of the woods. >> now time to check in for the weather in your neck of the woods. >> now it is time for a check of the weather -- what do you say? in your hood. i forgot the line. >> time for a check of the weather -- here's a look at it in your neck of the woods. i can't get it right. >> oh, i am so sorry! i didn't watch. >> put down the pitch forks. seriously, guys. he can't run that fast. he had surgery. we all tried while you were gone and failed. that just solidifies your greatness more. >> well, thank you. speaking of the greatness -- >> i saw your tweets about this with debbie reynolds. >> so heartbreaking.

this double tragedy. debbie reynolds passes away at the age of 84, a hollywood icon, so represents old hollywood, just one day after the death of her daughter, carrie fisher. it just seems hard to process. >> i was anchoring "nightly news" last night filling in for lester. when i got in, there is a report debbie reynolds had a stroke. like, are you kidding? you have that "no" moment. then it is confirmed. i got home an hour and a half after that and i got a message from our team it was confirmed that she died. i called my mother, i said, mom, debbie reynolds has passed away. no! it is that reality that she has died. this hollywood great. she's 84, so in reality, we know her age. but to die a day after your daughter, your beloved daughter, and her son. debbie reynolds' son said that

his mom was talking about just hours before she died how much she missed carrie and she wanted to be with carrie. you said that lela -- courtney asked me and said, can somebody die of a broken heart? there have been stories. >> we've done stories. it's heavily focused on spouses and you hear oftentimes a spouse dies soon after. i don't know what the research is regarding parent/child but when you think about the levels of unimaginable pain, losing a child -- >> from our nbc medical team, older folks actually have more than double the risk of having a stroke within 30 days of losing a loved one. it is similar to the idea of that broken heart syndrome. >> i have to -- listen, debbie reynolds' son says i want to be with her, i want to be with carrie.

we talked about this, this year, 2016 and all of the loss of people, these icons that we know and obviously personal lolsses for people at home that we don't know, just how 2016 has -- we've had beautiful things happen of course. there's just been a lot of -- >> a lot of tumult. >> yeah. >> i had the oddest moment. i don't think i'm spoiling the movie for nick, but nick and i went to see "rogue 1," the prequel to the "star wars" story, to what happened in the first original "star wars." carrie fisher has a very brief, but transitional, role in it. and we saw the movie. and two hours later carrie fisher, word had come out that she had passed. and it was just this weird goosebump moment. so our thoughts and prayers are with them and that they are together and god bless them and their families. >> beautifully said. >> nice story to kind of get us

a little up. >> let's get us up. a junior at ohio state university is in the marching band. >> the ohio state university. >> can you roll back the prompt again. austin breezy is a junior at the ohio state university. he is in the marching band. that's a major responsibility. huge. his friend bet him a burrito at chipotle, which is the size of this table, that he could not make a 55-yard field goal. he has never kicked a field goal, until there was burrito on the line. >> what? >> he's never done it. he was in the marching band. the band tweeted out the video asking the football team if they needed a kicker are for saturday's game. a tryout could be in his future. could -- got to try him out. >> isn't he being -- isn't he getting a tryout?

>> a member of the team has reached out. >> member of the team reaching out. >> they are on the same campus. >> the assistant athletic director. >> that's like the movie "rudy." didn't rudy just walk on? >> i think so. >> that's the one movie you don't know the whole lot? >> it's so long ago, i don't remember. >> i think that's the whole premise of "rudy," this kid that's not like on team and he becomes the whole star. >> we have a huge crowd in here today. >> we do. they all have pitch forks because they're mad about you not watching the show. >> none of them are watching either. their backs were all turned. >> here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> don't do that. >> oh! >> we don't want stations going away. >> they automatically -- >> they hear it, boom! they go! >> if you say it, it's like rumpelstiltskin? >> no. "beetle juice." >> who's rumpelstiltskin?

>> here's what happens when you do watch. up next, what were the best ads of 2016? find out if your favorite made the list. go in your bathroom and say weight watchers, i've lost over 40 pounds. i can honestly tell you, i struggle no more. i've eaten everything i love. tacos, pasta... i've never felt deprived. i would say to anybody who's thinking about joining weight watchers... take the leap, and get about the business of enjoying a fantastic and full life. in the first 2 months members have lost 15% more weight than on our prior program. join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. start by taking care of families for 70 years. earn the trust of 32 nfl teams. be there for america's toughest and help, when help is needed

america's #1 isn't a status earned overnight. it's earned in every wash, and re-earned every day. tide, america's #1 detergent we rely on our courage. the kind of courage that shows up when we need it... and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer society. pain from a headache whecan make this...d, feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® when you have a cold, pain from chest congestion can make this...

feel like this. all-in-one cold symptom relief from tylenol®, the #1 doctor recommended pain relief brand. tylenol® rightabreva can heal itold sore, in as few as two and a half days when used at the first sign. without it the virus spreads from cell to cell. only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. you could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. learn how abreva starts to work immediately at abreva.com don't tough it out, knock it out, fast. with abreva.

back now with more of "today's take." >> that's right. so best and worst ads. i'm -- i got some bones to pick with the waull street journal. they say one of the best is puppy monkey baby. i hated this commercial, it freaked me out. it is just bizarre. >> it is like a stoner ad. it's just -- in the nicest way, i say stoner. but it is just -- weird! that he it down. it makes me ill. >> they say one of the worst was the super bowl ad for but the lied with amy schumer and seth roggin doing a parody of a political campaign. i loved it. there were some great cameos in it. it was just fun. they say it was bad because it didn't improve sales. but bud light said it did

improve consumer perception of the brand. i thought it was terrific. i loved it. >> all right. ad week also out with their list of the best. taylor versus treadmill. that's the apple that was so funny. because we don't often see that side of her. that was amazing. the poignant jeep ad to marks its 75th anniversary. that's beautiful. >> that was amazing. >> that was just -- >> that every man should dare, from the beaches of normandy to the far reaches of the earth. >> you forget how iconic that was. >> michael phelps' rule yourself ad for under armour marking his final turn in the pool this past olympics in rio. this someone of those commercials you look at it like, i'm going to get up and work out. maybe not work out like michael phelps. i'm going to eat like him.

>> the dedication to what -- and all these athletes, what they do. it is amazing. >> his wedding pictures they posted online are just absolutely stunning. baby boomer -- oh, pie god. my favorite ad which we don't have to put up is iced tea. he has an ad -- the geico commercial. he's out on the lawn and they're selling iced tea. -- no. they're selling lemonade. >> they keep saying iced tea. yo, this is lemonade. read the sign. >> i think it should go down in tv history. if you've not seen it google the geico iced tea, the rapper. >> one of my other favorites, state farm. the one where juxtaposes the young girl getting her first car with the guy's car being vandalized. he goes, this can't be happening. the little girl's going, in can't be happening. you see the guy's car on blocks. he goes it can't be happening.

the guy goes it's happening, sweetheart. >> i haven't seen that one. >> shut up! you got to google it. state farm. >> what is this about small talk? >> "washington post" says small talk is under threat. when you are standing in line at the checkout, in store, folks are busy on their phones, they're teshgs ixting, e-mailin. when you are in line at the grocery store or coffee shop are you on your phone? >> i do my grocery shopping online. that eliminates. >> say getting a cup of coffee or something like that? >> you know what? i'm good at small talk like when i'm shopping and i run into people. mostly they are talking about how's al roker? is he as nice as he seems on tv? i say, well, no, he's really not. but we talk, you know me at parties though. you had a baffle christmas party last year, year before. i'm not good at -- in party setting. i get very shy and i just stand off to the corner and i hold one

poor person hostage and then i'm like -- >> she really does. >> i do. i do. i've tried to work on it. i should get some hypnotist or something. >> i guess the point of article is basically because we're so connected now on our phones that we aren't making eye contact, we aren't talking with people. >> you are great at reminding people to put their phones down. now when i go to dinner, i will like glance at the top of the dinner just to see if it's work, then i put it away. even when i was home with the family in texas, at one point we went to see "moana," and i pulled up my phone because there was something happening at work. and my niece said, they said, aunt tamron, no phones in the movie theater. what's your small talk tip? >> ooh! haley's comet! >> then you bolt? oh. this is the big moment.

i can't wait. i'm going to watch you on tv do this. >> let's show you what's happening as far as our weather's concerned today. we've got a nor'easter. this thing is going to be pushing through. snow up state, into new england. wet weather along the coast. as it moves in we're looking at anywhere from one to two feet of snow in parts of interior young pd i'm first alert meteorologist erika martin. we are clearing some snow showers from southwest toward the northeast across the lehigh valley, but tracking some widespread rain after that. temperatures for today topping out in the mid-40s but we will have a gusty afternoon into an early friday. of course, new year's eve, what can you expect? partly to mostly cloudy skies. it will be dry. temperatures overnight in the 30s, tracking some showers possibly for next monday into tuesday, otherwise for today for the lehigh valley give yourself extra time for that commute.

>> and that is your latest weather. >> i could watch you say that all day. coming up next, it is a new year's can't see it. can't taste it. but there's so much more to it. here's how benefiber® works. inside us are trillions of good microflora that support digestive health. the prebiotic fiber in benefiber® nourishes them... and what helps them, helps you. clear, taste-free, benefiber®. i just bought a book. and while i was telling you about the book, i downloaded a song.

oh, and full disclosure, when we were just chatting about that song thing, someone arranged a date. guilty. the point is, life is digital. so, carmax, created a site where you can reserve a car online. come in when it's convenient, your car will be waiting. just another thing to make buying a car better for you... reads this tweet that i just posted. oh, that appears to be trending. lol. put under a microscope, we can see all the bacteria that still exists. polident's unique micro clean formula works in just 3 minutes, killing 99.99% of odor causing bacteria. for a cleaner, fresher, brighter denture every day.

here for tips on making your 2017 goals successful, valley burton is here. >> good to see you. >> start with a better you. okay? how do we do this? >> well, i think it is so important for us when we start out particularly when thinking about how to boost our mood. think about the news with being a lot of things are on the downside. one thing to do is engage in happiness triggers which is really important. talk about a goal fatigue. that's basically we have too many goals, we get stretched thin. our energy depleats and it is really important to do maybe one goal at a time or if you have achieved a goal to be able to celebrate in between those goals. i would suggest for the new

year, pick a feeling. like i know i want to feel more margin, having more space between the things that i have to do, or maybe you want more energy or you want more happiness. then decide what's the goal that will give me that. >> you said one-word feeling. >> that's right. >> okay. moving on to relationships and what are we improving with these? clearly it is one of my goals. >> we know happiness is contagious. choose to be around happy people. actually will improve -- >> that's easier said than done though, isn't it? >> you're going to have some people who aren't happy for good reason? we aren't saying you shouldn't necessarily being around them but find more time around people who are very positive. then ask for what you want. successful people ask differently. speaking up and asking what you want can transform everything in 2017. >> that's very interesting. >> let's move on to work. one of the things you want to stretch yourself. >> yeah. so is there a skill that you can learn? is there something that can stretch you outside of your

comfort zone? we know that learning new things boosts happiness but it also just stretches us and helps us see what our potential really can be. then also, if you looked ahead ten years from now you look back and said what will i wish i will have done? do that. >> okay. >> whatever your answer is to that. >> okay. >> can that also translate to your personal life as well? >> absolutely. in the area of life, what will i wish i had done ten years from now? >> you went deep with that, al roker. next up on being happy, how can you create the sentiment of happiness. is that a real feeling? >> it is. it is subjective. i can't tell you how happy you are. but there are some things we can do. happiness is largely about the choices that we make, about 40% of your happiness is just choices. there is something called happiness triggers. one of my favorites is anticipation. that's just having something to look forward to. whether it's planning your summer vacation right now or just scanning your schedule for something you look forward to, that's going to boost your mood.

>> valerie, great advice. coming up, when cold and flu hold you back try theraflu expressmax, now in new caplet form. it's the only cold and flu caplet that has a maximum strength formula with a unique warming sensation you can instantly feel theraflu. for a powerful comeback. ♪

new expressmax caplets. good morning i'm rosemary connors. few minutes before 9:30. we have issued a first alert for your morning commute because of the snow and rain. let's get to meteorologist erika martin for the details. >> really does depend where you live. we're seeing spots developing around philadelphia, visibility is not the best. we're still seeing rain showers moving across the region and also some blues and purples telling us we have a wintry mix and future weather for the lehigh valley clears out the snow showers by about noon and then everything clearing by 3:00 p.m. across the delaware valley. back to you. >> thanks. download the free nbc 10 app and track this morning's wintry weather, you can customize your forecast and get weather alerts

specific to your neighborhood with the app. weather is causing traffic troubles, route 100 near creek road a car slid into a ditch. and this tractor trailer god stuck in shimerville. someone trying to kick the tires trying to free them from the road. now let's get a check of the traffic from first alert traffic reporter jessica boyington. >> thanks, we're starting on 422 a slippery drive but not major delays to report, around trooper road and eastbound drive, 29 to the schuylkill eight minutes. be careful getting on and off the ramp. another update in just about 25 minutes. remember get the latest news and weather with the nbc 10 app, now back to the "today" show. have a good one.

with only two days to go before your new year's bash, we've got some great last-minute food shot kurtz for any party. >> one of our absolute favorites, host of food and wine magazine's tips, you are starting off with hot chocolate. >> yes. but slow cooker hot chocolate. it is so awesome because you can make it ahead. just throw everything in your slow cooker. we have some milk in here. we'll add some heavy cream. >> you use whole milk? >> i use whole milk and heavy cream. if you don't want to -- >> but it is the holidays! >> exactly. add some chocolate chips. this is bittersweet but if you prefer milk chocolate, by all means. they're just a little sweeter.

this is sweetened condensed milk. salt, vanilla. then whisk that. cook it on low for two hours. then this is what you get. >> the best part, can it just stay there and keep warm? >> that's the best part about this. you just put this out at a party. this is great for sleepovers. if you have kids. they can serve themselves. scoop it right into a bowl there. >> this is the best hot chocolate i've ever had in my life. >> it is rich, it is creamy. >> how about adding a little extra cream with some whipped cream. >> exa kt actually. we have make ahead whipped cream dollops. i do confectioner sugar. it gives me stability. he freeze these for two hours. then you have them ready to go. >> that's fantastic. >> this is great for kids as well or adults who love rich and creamy treats. >> or put a little bailey's in

this. >> now you're talking. here we have these little taco salad bowls. use these little tortilla scoops. fill with refried beans. you can skip the beans if you'd like. use a little meat if you want. cheese, tomato, little avocado, these could be with whatever you'd like. >> i love that. >> serve on a beautiful platter. >> i like that. that's are fool-proof crab cakes. super -- you know the thing about crab cakes, i have some mayonnaise, panco, scallion. the thing is you normally need a lot of filler to keep that sticking together. but with this genius tip, you don't have to do that. just mix your filling here. >> i love that you have hearty pieces of crab. we like the jumbo lump. spoon it right into a muffin continue. >> the muffin continue holds it

together. >> you likely pack it, freeze it for like 30 minutes. until they are barely firm. then watch this. you take it out, flip it, and you get these perfectly formed crab cakes. >> i love that! >> then you dredge them? >> yeah. egg, panco, hot pan. fry them up. >> then finally, we have tuxedo cheese. this a fun, fancy thing for your party. cheddar cheese, triangles like this, put it on a little cracker. you cut black olives into these little triangles and squares. >> little bowtie and buttons. nice. >> exactly. >> that's adorable! >> i like that. >> we take it up a notch for the holidays. right? >> great job, justin. thank you. next up, how will -- what?

how well -- how well do you remember -- >> here's what's happening -- >> that hot chocolate was spiked. our pop culture challen i tried hard to quit smoking. but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. justice is spelled b-o-x.

say hello to a powerful tool that gives you options to fit your budget. ♪ oh, i'm tied to this chair! ♪ dun-dun-daaaa! i don't know that an insurance-themed comic book is what we're looking for. did i mention he can save people nearly $600? you haven't even heard my catchphrase. i'm all done with this guy. box him up. that's terrible. [cellphone ring] uh oh, should have put that phone on silent. luckily, jay chews trident to help clean and protect his teeth, so he can hide his guilt with a convincing grin. that's it jay, they'll never know. trident. cherish your teeth. achoo! snap achoo! snap achoo! achoo! snap snap achoo! achoo! feel a cold coming on? zicam cold remedy nasal swabs shorten colds with a snap, and reduce symptom severity by 45%. shorten your cold with a snap, with zicam.

it's a shark! it's a cancer-fighting shark... thanks to st. jude children's research hospital. at st. jude, no family ever pays for treatments, travel, housing or food... because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. wanna play? yes i do. give thanks for the healthy kids in your life and give to those who are not. go to stjude.org or shop where you see the st. jude logo. why can't i be a shark?

whfight back fastts, with tums smoothies. it starts dissolving the instant it touches your tongue. and neutralizes stomach acid at the source. ♪ tum -tum -tum -tum smoothies! only from tums well this here's a load-bearing wall. we'll go ahead and rip that out. that'll cause a lot of problems. hmm. totally unnecessary and it triples the budget. we'll be totally behind schedule, right? (laughschedules. schedules. great, okay. wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant? the citi® double cash card does. it lets you earn double cash back: 1% when you buy, and 1% as you pay. the citi double cash card. double means double. with all the rush in the morning, i don't have time to hashtag my breakfast. light & fit nonfat yogurt drinks. nutrition that fits my crazy life. nine grams of protein, 90 calories, no added sugar. light & fit. do what fits you. take one of those pillows they smell really fresh. what if we told you we washed these sheets 7 days ago.

really no way downy? downy fabric conditioner. give us a week, and we'll change your bed forever. want more freshness? add new downy fresh protect. game night is our daughter allie's favorite night. and knowing that her favorite general mills big g cereals are gluten-free, like honey nut cheerios, rice chex and lucky charms, she can enjoy it her way. this morning in our series recapping the major events of 2016, tamron and i are facing off with two audience members with our game called "ball drop." >> we'll see who remembers more about the biggest celebrity news over the past two months. here with us, joe levy and here from the plaza, is melissa lieu

sis f . >> my teammate is from pittsburgh. >> you know each other? >> we do. >> here's how the game is going to work, al. ladies have balls. they're going to bounce the balls to buzz in. i'm going to ask some questions, multiple choice. first team to five wins the game. there are prizes. >> question number one in "snl's" halloween episode, tom hanks portrayed the character david s. pumpkins -- oh! i'm just on height alone, al and alexis. the catchphrase was -- >> any questions? >> correct! >> and the ball begins to move. question number two. we're going to viral videos. which facebook live video was the most watched of 2016? was it, a, chardonnay go. b, chewbacca mom. >> he's got to call it out.

>> that's okay. that's all right. that's all right. it was a very loud bounce. melissa and tamron -- >> chewbacca mom. >> correct. seen over 130 million times. grammy time. who won album of the year at the grammys this year? was it, a, taylor swift, 1989, b, kendrick lamar with "to pimp a butterfly," or, c, adele with "25." alexis and al. did you have an answer? >> i think adele. >> we'll go with adele. >> no. that is incorrect. >> taylor. taylor. >> taylor swift is correct. taylor won three grammys this year. beyonce announced her formation tour during which 2016 event. was it, a, super bowl -- we have an answer. >> the super bowl event. >> yes. it was the super bowl event. also sometimes known as the super bowl. name the nintendo app that has been downloaded more than

tinder. okay, tamron. >> pokemon. >> pokemon go is correct. >> she didn't say go. >> and the judges still give it to her. two weeks after taylor swift and calvin harris announced their breakup, taylor was spotted kissing one of these -- >> tom hidelston. >> okay. which of these classic tv shows did not -- i repeat, not -- return in 2016. a, "the "gilmore girls,"" b, "saved by the bell," or c, "full house." >> "saved by the bell." >> al is correct. did not return. >> was it on? >> no. did not return. in october, kim kardashian was robbed of jewelry in what fashion capital? >> paris. >> paris is correct. it all comes down to this final question. in august, justin bieber deleted his instagram account.

it was a sad day. after receiving negative comments about a photo featuring which of these female stars? >> selena gomez. >> no. lionel richie's daughter. >> even without her name which is sophia, and the winner is -- yes. it's tamron and melissa! we have $100 gift card that will make the drive home to pittsburgh that much better. and for you, a runner-up -- you can drink your coffee out of this mug. >> joe levy, thank you so much. happy new year, my friend. let's do a little weather now. >> you leaving us? >> i'm going over to do a little weather. >> new year's eve, times square, mostly cloudy, southwesterly winds 5 to 10 miles per hour. saturday during the day, heavy rain from the gulf coast, wet weather into the ohio river valley. sunny along the coast. midnight 2017, wet through the gulf coast, snow up into new england, heavy rain in the southwest, and then on sunday,

new year's day, first day of the new year, more wet weather through the ohio valley and gulf coast. snow in the rockies and plains. and travel day on monday, could be a big problem, some icy mix in the northeast. rain and thunderstorms in atlanta. chicago some thunderstorms as well. out west, denver, you'll see some snow unseasonably cold weather through the plains. that's what's g oi i'm first alert meteorologist erika martin. we are clearing some snow showers from southwest toward the northeast across the lehigh valley, but tracking some widespread rain after that. temperatures for today topping out in the mid-40s but we will have a gusty afternoon into an early friday. of course, new year's eve, what can you expect? partly to mostly cloudy skies. it will be dry. temperatures overnight in the 30s, tracking some showers possibly for next monday into tuesday, otherwise for today for the lehigh valley give yourself extra time for that commute. >> that is your latest weather. coming up next,next, how to

$2017 in 2017. $2017 in 2017. see what we did we rely on our courage. the kind of courage that shows up when we need it... and when cancer is least expecting it. courage. just one reason more of us are surviving cancer than dying from it. give now to the american cancer society. fortified.tored. replenished. emerge everyday with emergen-c packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good everyday? emerge and see. how is this possible? it's a light soup and yet it's real food? carrots, celery, and now 100% antibotic and hormone free white breast meat chicken?

it boggles the mind! ah. i need to sit down. [oprah] like everybody, i want to live a life that's full. full of a happiness found in living the life i want. full of the energy that comes with good health. full of the great foods i love. and at weight watchers, i don't have to choose between weight loss and living well. i live well, while losing weight. it is easier than it's ever been, and not one day have i felt deprived. most important, it works! join for free now and lose 10 pounds on us. ♪ well, if you want to sing out, sing out ♪ ♪ and if you want to be free, be free ♪ ♪ 'cause there's a million things to be ♪ ♪ you know that there are ♪ and if you want to be me, be me ♪ ♪ and if you want to be you, be you ♪ ♪ 'cause there's a million things to do ♪

♪ you know that there are ♪ proof of less joint pain. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage, and clear skin in many adults. humira is the number #1 prescribed biologic for psoriatic arthritis. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure.

before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. want more proof? ask your rheumatologist about humira. humira. what's your body of proof? it helps put some distance.. between you and temptation. clinically proven to help reduce hunger between meals. from metamucil, the #1 doctor recommended brand. my advice for looking get your beauty sleep. and use aveeno® absolutely ageless® night cream with active naturals® blackberry complex. younger looking skin can start today. absolutely ageless® from aveeno®. with all the rush in the morning, i don't have time to hashtag my breakfast. light & fit nonfat yogurt drinks. nutrition that fits my crazy life. nine grams of protein, 90 calories, no added sugar.

light & fit. do what fits you. i don't want to put whenmy life on hold.he, i've got a big night planned with my friends. and i want to enjoy every moment of it. that's why i use fast-acting excedrin for my headaches. excedrin has two pain fighters plus a booster. and for some, headache relief starts in just 15 minutes. excedrin specializes in treating headaches. which is why moments lost to headaches are moments gained with excedrin. [heartbeat] as many much us are thinking about our new year's resolutions and sitting goals for the coming

year, we want to help you save some money and more speckly show you how to save $2,017. that's 2017. we bring in cnbc financial reporter landon dowdy who is trips for reaching that golden number. welcome to the show. >> thank you. we all set those unreasonable goals at the beginning of the year but there are ways to set reasonable ones and to achieve th them. >> most people can do all of these things. >> yes. we're going to start with some bills, particularly your cable bill. call your cable company. i know it is a hassle. make sure you have the lowest rate possible and negotiate with them. i actually tried this unwith myself and i saved a little over $14 a month. that comes out to $172 in savings a year. >> you called and said, listen, these are the channels i want. do you have a new package available for this? >> is this the best rate that i'm getting. negotiate and say you are a

valuable customer. >> and it works. >> it works. $14. $172. also an energy bill it probably what you are over paying on. right? what you do is people think that these tech smart savvy things like a smart thermometer are expensive and cost you more. actually they are saving you. by using a smart thermometer, it is efficient. it tracks when you're home, when you are not home. it helps you save. by using that you can save according to the average annual u.s. heating and cooling cost, you can save $131. >> it requires you to change out your system, right? >> but it is easy. you can do it yourself by using the honeywell one or whatever one you want to use. $131 a year. because it tracks when you get back up. goes back up, goes back down. grocery segment. bottled water. we all use this. switch to reusable bottles. okay? multiple reasons. one, the average price of a bottle of water is $1.45. if you drink five of those, $377

that you could be saving. you can also be more energy efficient. >> you say like the water filters -- >> just buy a bottle. >> that's $377 that you can use there. there are some great grocery apps. grocery pal. here is how it works. it has your items on a list. it tracks those items and it finds the cheapest price around you in your area. okay? >> in your area. >> yeah. it finds the cvs, right aid or target. it finds that. type in your zip code. a can of chicken noodle soup, $3.29. i found it for $2.50 at another store. you buy four of those a months, that's a savings of $38 a year p. >> grocery pal. >> you have to take advantage of this one. car insurance. i know it is a hassle again back

to the calling, but it is worth it. don't just take the first rate that you get. call, get multiple rates. negotiate with them again. you haggle with them, studies show you can save up to $859! on your car insurance. >> that's worth being on the phone a couple of hours. >> are you keeping track of the math? >> i am. we're at $1,577. this is going to put us over -- this looks like a beach vacation. i don't know how we would save. >> this is no va wracation. this is money on your tax savings. this is the kids' camp. thanks to the child and dependent care credit, thanks to that, the money that you spent on your kids' day camp or daycare -- direct savings right back in your wallet. the $440 that you spend on the wild water rafting kid for your camp, back in your wallet. >> on your taxes. >> i did not know that. that's great information. >> $2,017 in 2017.

you were overwhelmed, overspent from the holidays. these are reasonable goals. >> i'm on the phone right now with cable company and insurance. we're back in a moment. this is "today" on nbc. you've sav

coming up, kathie lee and hoda talk new year's eve beauty tricks and "ambush makeover"s. of course, best of drinks, decor, fun and more. al roker's already left the building. enjoy your day. we just moved into this house and didn't realize how difficult it was going to be to tie all that space together. with an open floor plan, you need to separate it with furniture. bassett had everything that we needed.

fabric combinations marry the rooms together. having someone with bassett has been invaluable. we could've never dreamed up this room without bassett. good thursday morning. i'm rosemary connors. just a few minutes before 10:00. we issued a first alert because of the wintry mix making its way through the region. it continues for about another hour. more from meteorologist erika martin. >> we have that wintry mix clearing as we mentioned to rain for the entire area but right now we're also having issues as far as fog. this is a live look at philadelphia international airport. visibility is poor right now.

we'll start to improve as the day progresses as we track this system moving north eastward. satellite radar impaneling showing the change over parts of the lehigh valley. we may see one or two pockets of heavy koun pours. everything will improve and clear by 3:00 p.m./4:00 p.m. this afternoon. back to you been. >> make sure you have the free nbc 10 app to track the wet weather. right now a check on our traffic from jessica boyington. >> starting to see delays probably because of the weather on 95 because there's no incidents reported around girard avenue especially northbound side. 22 minutes out of centre city. philadelphia police have somebody in custody in connection with the death of an 81-year-old woman, marie buck was shot and killed christmas eve inside this corner store she owned. police are waiting on the district attorney's office to approve the charges. i'm rosemary connors, we'll have another update in 25

minutes. have a good one.

from nbc news, this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb, from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> hey, everybody, welcome to thirsty thursday, december 29. just two days to go in this year. >> look at you, little sex pot. >> look who's talking. i love that dress every time i see it. oops by little mix. you like that, right? >> love those girls. really sweet. >> just a couple days before the biggest night of the year. you got big plans? the parade. >> the rose parade. >> with al. >> yeah, in pasadena. what about you? what do you got planned? >> we always have it right down there in the keys, very laid